April 21, 2006 – A journey to Thailand-Laos Border Crossing, Laos in Asia

Border Crossing Across the Mekong River

From Chiang Khong, we crossed the Mekong River into the Laos town of Huay Xai. It was an interesting experience changing baht into kip - you get lots of it. After all the border crossing procedures, we got on a river boat to cruise down the Mekong River to Luang Prabang. It took two days with a night stopover in one of the small villages on the way. You can do the same trip in an hour by speedboat, but you'll miss a lot of the scenery and stops on the way. Plus, there's always a risk of bumping into something in the river and having your speedboat explode into pieces. Odds seem pretty small but you never know.

Enjoyed the scenic cruise down. It was very relaxing and stress-free. You do see quite a bit of wildlife, such as water buffalo, wild goat families, and elephants if you're lucky. You also may witness many local hilltribe people fishing or washing in the Mekong.